I don’t know, Meta…I think this is a harder blow to Johnnie McC more than to any of the others. Putin has robbed Johnnie of a major photo-op! (Hmmm. I wonder if LindseyG will go on his own, or get that Nikki pol to go in Johnnie McC’s place?) McC might have tried to make a joke of it on twitter, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he *had* been planning a visit!

Surgical strike. Typical President Obama. And, he’s just sharpening his tools. S&P noticed :) He can do tremendous damage to the personal wealth of all the oligarchs – including TzarVlado – as well as the Russian economy – without firing a single shot or endangering a single American military person.

Exactly. The next steps he takes will certainly begin having significant effects on ordinary Russians. For those living outside St. Petersburg and Moscow, who are already suffering Putin’s lousy economy, any downgrade is only going to make them angrier which could catalyze a shortening of Putin’s and his fellow oligarch’s kleptocracy.

Bob, I’m bringing this over from the last post because I heard a lot of this misunderstanding at a meeting today.

I think those who criticize the president don’t understand the concept of gradualism. I’ve heard people questioning how “just” sanctions are going to do anything to undermine Putin. They seem too small, too lacking in drama and razz-ma-tazzz. What they don’t get is the president is warming up for Act I and there are several more continually escalating acts to follow. People want instant gratification. Bang the hammer now, get it over with because the idea of tightening screws slowly is just contrary to the way the usual action movie here operates. As always, the president remains above simplistic thinking. I love how he makes a public statement about each little increment just about every other day. He’s following his own script and it will slowly and inexorably build up to a climax. There may be some in Russia who smirk at at the US’s impotence, but they are as slowly and surely being boiled as the proverbial frog in water.
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“As always, the president remains above simplistic thinking. I love how he makes a public statement about each little increment just about every other day. He’s following his own script and it will slowly and inexorably build up to a climax.”

So true, Jackie.

What amazes me is that he’s done this, time and time again, and so many still fail to get – DON’T MESS WITH OBAMA.

That’s what I had thought………He tells a wonderful story about meeting President Obama the very 1rst time at the 2004 convention, and the best moment on election night 2008. I’m assuming this is a very prestigious award he received?

Haven’t had a chance yet to watch it LP, so looking forward to it. The UCD L&H, who gave him the award, is pretty prestigious alright, although the main rival college in Dublin, Trinity, would claim their awards are waaaaay more prestigious! It’s funny, I had a choice between going to Trinity (the then Protestant college) or UCD (the then Catholic college), and chose UCD because I was going through my raving nationalist stage. Daft decision, the journey every day was twice the distance Trinity would have been :oops:

I wish he would have stayed on the team. I understand the hours are crazy, but working for one of the best presidents in history is an incredible opportunity. Maybe he was really really tired and needed to “refresh”. Still…

Hello TOD. I just watched this riveting speech by Jon Favreau on the previous thread. This young man was such a good match as PBO’s speech writer. He knows how to deliver a speech also. He really had the attention of the audience. Thanks for sharing.

Putin didn’t think this thing out, and now it is all the more evident. Your response to economic sanctions is to ban a couple of Senators and Congressmen from visiting Russia? Really, why not accuse America of having the cooties while you’re at it.

Don, a bully like Putin is used to get his way through intimidation and military muscle. He’s out of his depth in the world of strategic thinking and economic strategy. His ego is too gigantic to see beyond.

“Disinformation: The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs consistently states that “the current Kyiv administration should curb the rampant ultra-nationalist and radical groups that are terrorizing dissidents and Russian-speaking people.”

Fact 1: Embassy teams who visited Kharkiv and Donetsk, two flashpoint cities with many Russian speakers, conclude from interviews that it is actually Russian “tourists” and local titushky thugs who have instigated violent attacks against Russian or Ukrainian speaking pro-Ukrainians. This was particularly made clear in discussions with witnesses to the Thursday, March 13 violence in Kharkiv that resulted in two dead pro-Ukrainian protesters

Fact 2: The majority of pro-Ukrainian protesters in Donetsk and Kharkiv are Russian speakers. In addition, Embassy staff observation teams on the Maidan and, indeed, polls of over 2,000 Maidan protesters confirm that many on the Maidan were primarily Russian speakers.”

This is March Madness. Sports and young folks. ACA wants and needs young males, especially to #GetCovered No doubt sen Corey played hurt and he is using this photo just like the photo of Mayor Emmanuel’s missing half of his right finger when he was a teen was used to show The YOUNG invincibles to #GetCovered.

The Black intelligentsia has long had a problem with Barack Obama, maybe it had something to do with him not kissing the ring of one of the supposed gatekeepers of Blackness. Never mind the fact that the majority of those gatekeepers threw themselves into the oncoming Republican traffic that was coming to get Bill Clinton after his intern deal. And those exact same gatekeepers endorsed Hillary over Barack. So at this point in time, I could give less than two fucks about MHP or TNC.

MHP, surprisingly, falls into the same trap as others. Just because President Obama challenges young black americans to demand more of themselves, and says that black parents have to take their responsibilities, doesn’t mean that he’s ignoring all the structural disadvantages of the black and latino communities. Good Lord, has she paid any attention to all the things the President is trying to do to help those communities ? Health care, community colleges, less harsh sentences for minor drug offenses, pushing for raising the minimum wage, and on and on…

Wow, I’m disappointed in MHP. You know what ? I hope President Obama invites her at his next off-the record meetings with “progressives” and teaches her a lesson. The President CARES and KNOWS as much as her, maybe more, about the struggles of the minorities. He just uses the principles of community organizing: EMPOWER people and MOTIVATE them into pushing and working for change. Black intellectuals are like other “progressives” sometimes: just emphasize all the negativity, just say how life is not fair, just say how people are the victims, and never offer solutions.

“If men were having babies we’d have different policies,” the president said at an event at Valencia College in Orlando.

Obama added that Congress would accomplish more with more women members, and called for equal pay for women. He also urged the House and Senate to pass legislation raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour.

Ellen just told POTUS that she had a couple of questions Michelle want her to ask him since she was out of the country, first question, did you make your bed, second question, are you taking care of yourself, did you eat a healthy breakfast, did you exercise? POTUS said no he didn’t make the bed. He did eat breakfast, he had some carrot sticks for a snack, what had me laugh was he said he had some carrot sticks along with the potato chips.

My friend you grew up in Russia and went to St. Petersburg University posted this to her FB page today. . .
For the first time in my life I became ashamed of my nationality.
Anita Ukrainka Girl writes her brother-in-law in Evpatoria is: you know how the Russians today have base? Without firing a shot, although the main headquarters of the Patriot of Ukraine to the bone, and was born and raised in … They were ready to die to defend his country’s flag. The Russians surrounded the school and a kindergarten. But the military said no-fold-enter to children …Natasha thrashed hysterically, she had never wanted to harm. Today she wished. go through what she went through. And fathers of these children. who are faithful to the oath.but above all, appreciate the lives of their children.I have tears rolling down the cheeks.She hates the Russians. Anyone with such joy, rubbing his palms, tries to seize Crimea … …And the Pope.the Pope silently put the machine on the ground.And the Russians on TV tell that without a drop of blood … ” (Translated by Bing)

I think my President is thinking like a girl ! And more power to him. No, seriously, that is great; nearly spit out my diet coke with the comment that if men were having babies we’d have different policies.” My hubby was sitting right here and I read it to him. He agreed and said God Bless him! Think of it: there would probably be the most generous, most lenient maternity leave policy in the world. Insurance would probably cover contraception especially, since after the first few men had babies and saw when it entails …. there’d be no more of that. And for the ones who did … heck, they’d probably have insurance mandated nannies. And on and on. This is hilarious and would be so true. I love you Mr. President.

in case anyone still needs convincing: the billionaires who own the entire major media are using their companies purely for propaganda reasons to diminish support for america’s first black president, who happens to be leading the biggest liberal renaissance in many generations, and here’s more proof:

ignoring the seeming lack of simple logic within that statement, any objective analysis of the facts of just this last year alone would put president obama in the #1 spot. easy. yet, they put bill clinton at #5. “the news” is our number problem right now since republicans couldn’t get away with what they do if they were ever challenged on their lies, and far fewer people would vote for them. yet, the news promotes them, and the clintons for that matter…why is that is a question one needs to ask themselves.

Bill Clinton has worked for years to get accepted by the “establishment”. With his Global initiative, he has met with the members of the plutocracy. He’s very very good at flattering their egos.

President Obama’s problem: he is not a schmoozer. He is not a politician in the traditional sense of the world. In an environment which is profoundly corrupted, he has remained honest and loyal to ordinary americans. He’s not “one of them” and never will be. So they are rejecting him. They’re not hiding their contempt anymore.

They think Hillary Clinton is the next president and they’ve begun to position themselves so they’ll be in the good graces of the Clintons.

I just hope that one day, President Obama is given ALL THE RESPECT he deserves. He’s an EXCEPTIONAL statesman. He operates at a level of consciousness much higher than the vast majority of politicians. I’m absolutely convinced that, AT THE CORE, it is the reason why he’s met with such entrenched opposition. The political intelligensia doesn’t “get” the guy; they view him with contempt because he doesn’t operate like they do. Many of them are so corrupted by power they don’t even see how corrupted they are.

Barack Obama, after his presidency, will remain in the public eye, and will continue to push for positive change. Without using too much harsh rhetoric against the plutocracy (that’s not his style), he will continue to wake up ordinary people to their power. History will see him as a TRANSFORMATIONAL figure.